CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF WEST POINT COLONIAL PERIOD 1. West Point’s long and unique history is a result of its location in Colonial Va. and rich Am. Indian heritage. Once the site of an Indian village named Cinquoteck. Seat of Opechancanough, chief of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and youngest brother to the powerful “Powhatan” of the federation of tribes known as Powhatan (Chief Wahuncenacawh) . His federation reached into Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina with some thirty tribes total. This federation was, at the time of the English intrusion, at war with the Chicohomony Tribe. “Powhatan” did not want the English (tribe) siding with his rivals the Chicohomony and decided to take in the English tribe as one of his own by symbolically having Capt. John Smith become one of his own (Pocahontas story). Chief Wahuncenacawh visited many villages and lived in several all alone the Chesapeake Bay area during his life time. Each of these became known as his village. The Powhatan Capital however was at Wocomico in Gloucester, Va. It is recognized as the true seat and home of the powerful “Powhatan” 2. 1607-1609 – Captain John Smith is taken by force march and boat to village of Cinquoteck as a prize captive. He is released by The Powhatan Chief later. 3. 1609 – Captain John Smith returns to Cinquoteck with armed demand for food supplies for Jamestown. He holds Opechancanough at gun point for this demand. 4. 1610 – Thomas West (3rd Baron De-la-warr). He is made the first “Governor for life” and “Capt of Va.” after his 1610 rescue of the Jamestown settlement from Indian attacks and near starvation. 5. 1635 – Capt. John West, younger brother of Thomas West - Lord De-la-warr is made deputy governor of Virginia from 1635-1637. 6. 1653 - Land grant of some 4000 acres given to Gov.(Capt.) John West. He lived at his plantation at Port Richmond, West Point. The peninsula is named in honor of Gov. John West. 7. 1676 - Colonel John West Jr., son of Gov. John West Sr., opposed Nathaniel Bacon in 1676. Bacon’s followers however occupied WP peninsula and strongly fortified until captured. Col West sat on the court-martial that tried the rebels and hung one of Bacon’s lieutenants, Anthony Arnold, here in WP near 2nd and main. 8. 1689 – John West III inherits West Plantation. He and his siblings convey 50 acres to the county for the establishment of a colonial town. 9. 1691 - By act of the Va. Gen Assembly arranged a purchase of 50 acres of land form “West Plantation” for development of Delaware Town. 10. 1701 – The colonial town of Delaware Town was founded and incorporated in 1704. It name was given in honor to Capt. West’s older brother Thomas West – Lord De-la-warr. 11. 1705 - Delaware Town’s Anglican Church, Pamunkey Neck Chapel occupied the part of town between 4th and 5th street with the burial grounds nearer the corner of 5th and Main. A lone crypt marker remains as silent testimony of its former use. 12. 1707 – First deeds for property for Delaware Town were recorded. Due to failure of most lots to sell, those that did not sell were soon reverted back to the “West Plantation” with the result of the Delaware town never really materializing as planned. Some fifty years later these lands are bought by Carter Braxton. REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD 13. 1776 - Carter Braxton, signer of the Declaration of Independence, moves to residence in town of WP after burning of his home “Chericoke” in King William County during Revolutionary War Period”. It is doing this time period that Carter Braxton starts buying remaining unsold lands in the “West Plantation” still owned by heirs of the West family. The WP home was called Grove House in the nineteenth century and was located on the West side of Main between 7th and 8th Streets. Records have him living in WP in 1781. The house was burn in the 1903 fire. 14. 1781 - During the Revolutionary War, the French under Lafayette, occupied and fortified WP during the last two weeks of August 1781 while Cornwallis was in Yorktown. 15. It was reported at this time by the French in 1781 that Delaware Town was anciently a very large Indian village but now all but one good house and the ruins of several others where the remnants of the Mattaponi Tribe now dwindled to 15- 20 souls. 16. 1799 – Carter Braxton brought the “West Point Peninsula” for $35,000.00 from the West heirs. (King William Co, Va. P.40) 1800s 17. 1810 – John Taylor brought the West Plantation from the Braxton estate. 18. 1811 – John Taylor deeds the “West Plantation” to his son William Penn Taylor to manage the farming of the surrounding lands. 19. 1856 – The West Point Land Company purchases 500 acres from landowner William Penn Taylor. James M. Daniel laid the present town plan in 1860. 20. 1859 - a rail line by the Richmond and York Railway (later to become part of the Southern Railway) was placed up the Pamunkey River from White House New Kent to above the town of WP. The line went into service with the completion of a iron drawbridge completed across the Pamunkey River in 1860. 21. The Railway office depot was the brick building on 4th and Lee Street on the Mattaponi side with the rail services going across present day WP right up 4th street to reach the Mattaponi side of the river where the shipping docks were located at that time. During the Civil War, rail shipping stopped for the most part until the bridge at White House Landing could be rebuilt in 1868. (Treat notes) 22. 1867 – The York River Line started passenger service to WP and Whitehouse Landing from Baltimore with two side paddleboats the Kenebec and the Admiral. Also during this time one additional boat from Norfolk started services to WP. 23. 1868 - The bridge across the Pamunkey River from Whitehouse Landing in New Kent to the King William side toward down toward WP, which was destroyed during the Civil War, was finally restored again in 1868. 24. 1868 – New wharfs and warehouses were built along the Pamunkey between 3rd and 6th streets replacing the rail head across the middle of the present day town on 4th and Lee on the Mattaponi River. This newly developed area was then located west of present day Kirby Street where present day marshes and rail tracks are now located. It was also during this time period of (1868-1890) that many warehouses, saloons and rooming houses and the early waterfront district was being built up alone this same area. 25. 1868 – Freedman’s Bureau established first free school for African-American just prior to Beverly Allen creating his progressive school for Blacks after the town council appropriates monies toward a free school for back children in the home of Mr. Allen in 1873. Talked given by Mrs. Daisy Treat to the “Twentieth Century Club” in WP. (items 14-28) presently located on HSWP web site. 26. 1870 - July 11th - WP was incorporated as a Town with a population of 75 people. 27. 1870 - The first town election was in September 3rd for town council officers: Mayor: John Whitbeck, Councilmen: E.W. Massey, Hansford Anderson, Haley Cole, Beverly Allen (colored), George Washington (colored), George Massey: policeman-a negro. It was reported that the only paid salary was that of policeman who received the sum of $1.00 per arrest. 28. 1873 - Beverly Allen created his progressive school for Blacks after the town council appropriates monies toward a free school for back children held at the home of Mr. Allen. 29. 1880 – First major fire as report in NY Times on 30th November. A fire of unknown origin aboard the ship “Shirley” was discovered as the cause. Railroad Warehouses burn all along Pamunkey River in West Point, Va. This water front area built up between 1868 and 1880 is largely destroyed. It was at this time the town moved East two blocks over into present day Kirby and Main streets to rebuild. The York Wholesale Building built afterwards now stands as the sole survivor of a once extensive warehouse system of building and wharfs. 30. 1881 – Second fire at the wharfs. December 26th. The same above ship “Shirley” now just newly rebuilt and renamed “West Point” was to be involved yet again in a horrific explosion just some thirteen months later at the same West Point wharfs and again only to be completely destroyed this time with the loss of some nineteen lives. 31. 1884 – Mr. and Mrs. Broaddus started a girl’s private school located on 2nd and (D) Main and also in the Ware Cottage on 11th Street. 32. 1885 – Electricity comes to WP. Electric Lights –Mr. E.W. Milken and Mr. Thomas P. Bagby started the first electric light company supplying electricity to the town and a limited number of homes. 33. 1895 – Sam Bland’s General Store, later Riddle’s Pharmacy then Heath’s Jewelers. 34. 1887 – Southern Railway announces its future plans to move the port terminus out of WP to Pinner Point in Portsmouth. 35. 1887 – the arrival of the 200-room Terminal Hotel heralded the town’s transformation to a resort destination from the shipping and cotton port of the South. Vacationers could then choose between regular train excursions or luxury steamship cruises to Baltimore. This financial investment in part by a Major James Dooley and other Richmond investors. It comes at a time when WP desperately needs the economic relief from the shocking news of the eventually closing of the shipping port here.